Hot on the trail of their recent show at The Bunker London, Reboot Theatre Company are looking for new writing for their Autumn production.

Reboot will choose 4-6 plays to perform at a central London Theatre on 2-3 evenings in October 2018. A £50 fee will be paid to each writer whose work is chosen.

“We’re not just looking for outstanding text, but for plays that will showcase interesting, novel, or experimental theatre. No specific theme is required, and we suggest reviewing our previous performances, workshops and biographies. We strongly recommend considering our current actor repertoire when submitting a play, as casting will be from within Reboot Company.”

What they require:

Writing in English (including British textual references)

Full play length: 15-20 min

Complete plays – no extracts from longer pieces

Finished plays – this isn’t a scratch night

The piece is relevant to a British audience

Minimum of 2 characters

Play does not require a complex or fixed set

Only one entry per writer (previous submissions are welcome)

How to apply: please email script submissions to submissions@rebootcompany.org (preferably in PDF format and providing a short synopsis)

Playhouse Playmaker is the Oxford Playhouse writers attachment programme for new and emerging playwrights led by award-winning writer and director John Retallack.

Each year they select up to 6 writers who meet one Saturday a month between October and June. These sessions are used to work on writing techniques, with individual mentoring and feedback on scripts. Find more information here. This programme is free but selective.

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Each week we look through our pile of writing opportunities to pick out one we think is particularly worth your time. It could be an innovative brief, great prize money, a high-profile company, or just plain fun.

Description: Just Some Theatre are looking for new play scripts. After successful Arts Council funded tours and London runs including Coward (2013) and The Doppel Gang (2015/17), they are looking for fresh projects with a view to produce in 2019.

What’s so great about it? As much as we value call outs for short scripts for scratch nights, it’s really great to see an opportunity for writers to get a professional run of their full length play.

This is an opportunity to work with a theatre company whose focus is on new writing (they also strive for high production values and immersive design) – and with a couple of successful Arts Council funded tours and London runs already behind them, we reckon your play will be in good hands.

They are looking for plays with casts of 2-4, preferably with an interval and you can send them either the full script, an extract or even a concept. You’ve got until 12 June to send them your ideas! Good luck – and we’re excited to find out what gets produced.

In this post, Editor Jennifer Richards shares her tips on how she gradually fell in love with the re-drafting process, as editing exercises and tips and tricks helped her realise how vital re-drafting is for playwriting success!

Re-drafting a script used to be the dreaded monster I’d put off at all costs. It got to the point of not even wanting to write the script in the first place, knowing I’d just have to take a sledgehammer to it later. It seemed pointless to pour time and energy into a script knowing that I could end up with only a few lines from that original script making it into my final draft.

Image by Stephen Dan via Flickr CC

Of course that’s a very dramatic editing process, but I’ve always had a flair for drama! And I’ve learnt that it takes real determination to not mind, or even to like, the fact that I could go through 30 drafts with only one line from the very first script making it into the last one.

Now I’ve got to the point where I can actually enjoy getting to cut out characters, or moving where the story takes place, or even changing it from a four-hander to a monologue.

So here’s the tips and tricks I discovered to help make that re-drafting process fun rather than frightening…

1- Start with a blank page

Editing seems a lot more cruel when I’m actively having to cut out lines and move big chunks of text around. I found I’m a lot happier to make bigger changes if I start from a blank page again.

This doesn’t mean I need to re-write everything; I can just copy and paste across the bits I need, but it ultimately means I’m a lot more honest about the bits I definitely don’t need.

2- Get a buddy group

Sometimes when it comes to do what feels like my 30th draft (or, in some cases, my actual 30th draft), I find myself loosing interest in my story.

After having spent so long trying to get it right, it still doesn’t seem to be doing what I want. Often I’ve got so wrapped up in my own head that what I need is an outside perspective to give me a bit more clarity.

I’m lucky enough to be in a buddy group with three other playwrights, which has been incredibly helpful in having peope to offer feedback on bits of the script that I’m struggling with, or just as a way to soundboard ideas off of. It helps ignite that love for the story again and make me feel like maybe, yes, I can give the 51st draft a go.

3- Remember you’re not the story

When I write something more personal, it’s hard to distance myself from the story. And though that can definitely make it very hard when it comes to reading reviews, it can even make it difficult to edit.

When something feels so close to you, it’s a struggle to look at it objectively and decide what is and isn’t necessary for the narrative. Yes this one detail may be really important to me, but does it actually matter to the story? I constantly have to remind myself I’m not editing out my history or any of the real story I’m basing the play off of, I’m just making the best play that I can.

Image by Barman Farzahd via Flickr CC

4- Take your characters out of the script

I’m someone who has a total fear of wasting time. So the idea of spending time doing writing exercises rather than writing the actual script makes me feel a bit nauseous. But it’s actually a great way of exploring characters.

Whether that’s freewriting an extra scene that maybe the audience don’t see on stage but I’d like to explore, or putting two characters together who don’t interact during the play and making them have a cuppa, it’s a great way of putting life back into the script.

This means redrafting seems like creating something new and exciting rather than a chore, which makes that editing process a whole lot more enjoyable!

And if you want to find out about more tips for the re-drafting process, you can become an LPW member to get access to our new re-drafting toolkit that’ll help you tackle all those editing problems!

The Creative Youth Network is looking for 5 young people to take part in a paid 6 month opportunity to set yourself up as a freelancer, make and show your own work and get mentoring. It is open to people aged 16–25.

What you get:

Studio space

Professional mentoring

Work placements/professional experience

Money to make new work

Showcase opportunities of new work

Professional business support

Help setting yourself up as a freelance practitioner

8 hours a week of paid work as a freelancer at Creative Youth Network to plan and run workshops for other young people

What they are looking for:

Five young artists, musicians, dancers, choreographers, performers, writers, designers… basically anyone with a creative vision, idea and passion. You should be committed and motivated at the start of your creative profession and career. With a drive and passion for making new work and developing yourself but you may not have had the opportunity to do so before.

heatr Genedlaethol Cymru (the national Welsh-language theatre) are leading on a new venture – Grŵp Awduron Newydd (New Writers’ Group). The New Writers’ Group is open to writers of every age and from all parts of Wales and beyond writing in the Welsh language – people who are eager to explore, experiment and develop their craft. Maybe some will be experienced writers in other media but fancy venturing into the theatre world. Maybe others already work in the theatre but are keen to try their hand at writing. And maybe others have had some experience in theatre writing but feel they need a helping hand in taking their next steps.

They are especially keen to encourage applications from groups that have been under-represented in the arts – disabled people, women, people from BAME backgrounds, and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Are you a budding Playwright? Would you like to have your work performed on a London stage?

Bloom Theatre & Film are looking for two 30 to 45 minute, 2 character fictional stage plays to be performed in July this year at a London theatre.

Chosen by Bloom Theatre & Film and a panel of their collaborators, the plays will be judged on:

Originality

Plot

Storytelling

Writing technique

Enjoyment

Although not exclusive, they are keen to receive submissions from BAME and female writers, which include strong female characters as well as characters that can be performed in any accents and ethnicities. They are looking for exciting, innovative and envelope pushing work.

You don’t need any previous writing experience. You can enter on your own or as a group, but you can only enter once.

How to apply: please send your play to productionsbloom@gmail.com with ‘Play Submission’ in the subject line, and a brief explanation of why your play should be chosen. Winners will be notified by Monday 18th June 2018. Best of luck writers!